1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a safety socket device, and more particularly to a safety socket device having a safety structure for preventing the insertion of foreign objects into the safety socket device by infants and small children.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical safety socket devices comprise one or more pairs of internal female contact strips which are normally spaced apart longitudinally on a socket body, and contact slots for each female contact strip spread apart transversely of the socket body. Some of the typical safety socket devices comprise electrically non-conductive safety guards having prong-passing openings formed therein and selectively aligned with passageways of the socket body.
For example, when the prong-passing openings of the electrically non-conductive safety guards are aligned with the passageways of the socket body, the prongs of the plugs may be engaged through the passageways of the socket body and may be engaged with the internal female contact strips. On the contrary, when the prong-passing openings of the electrically non-conductive safety guards are offset or are not aligned with the passageways of the socket body, the prongs of the plugs or other objects may not be engaged through the passageways of the socket body and may not be engaged with the internal female contact strips.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,479 to Jacobson discloses one of the typical safety socket devices and also comprising electrically non-conductive safety guards for selectively blocking the passageways of the socket body, and for preventing objects from being engaged through the passageways of the socket body and from being engaged with the internal female contact strips. However, children may also have some chances to engage various objects through the passageways of the socket body and to engage with the internal female contact strips inadvertently when the passageways of the socket body are not blocked by the non-conductive safety guards.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,299 to Foulk discloses a typical child resistant electrical outlet for preventing the insertion of foreign objects into the safety socket device by infants and small children. The typical child resistant electrical outlet includes internal blocking members movable into open position and closed position respectively. However, similarly, the socket device may also have some chances to engage various objects through into the socket body and to engage with the internal female contact strips of the socket device inadvertently when the socket body is not blocked by the blocking members.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,630 to Tseng et al. discloses a typical socket assembly for electrical plugs, and comprising a number of sliding plates spaced from one another and arranged in a row between a base and a cover, for selectively blocking the passageways of the socket device. However, similarly, the socket device may also have some chances to engage various objects through into the socket body and to engage with the internal female contact strips of the socket device inadvertently when the socket body is not blocked by the sliding plates.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional safety socket devices.